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Hello my friends! I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite bloggers. Maybe you can take some time to visit their blogs. I’m sure you will fall in love with at least one of these wonderfully creative people.

*Spotlighted today are a wonderful group of writers, poets, photographer, and bloggers that are sure to please.

On this blog you’ll see many pretty illustrations and the most amazing poetry created by Staci Lys. I really enjoy visiting this blog, it always puts me in the best of moods. I’ve often told her that I’d like to frame her work and put it on my wall. I have to be careful though, because I can easily lose track of time when visiting. I love it. 😉

Olga Nuñez Miret is a multi-published author, translator (English-Spanish/Spanish-English), book blogger, and radio personality. She talks about books, writing, life and everything else on her blog. I find Olga and her blog fascinating. Her book reviews are honest and insightful, as well as entertaining. She’s an intelligent, sweet, and charming person and it comes through in all her posts.

Alistair Lane is a poet, writer and self-described ‘daydreamer’, and that’s okay because his imagination is powerful and seem to have no limits. I am often blown away by the creativity and uniqueness of Al’s posts.

Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is an amazing writer of fantasy fiction. Reading one of her stories (she posts many on her blog) will have you convinced she’s a magician of language. Right now she is posting episodes of her story Guitar Mancer which I am currently reading, and my only regret is that I don’t have more time to read all the episodes at once. As if her stories weren’t enough she posts recipes at the end of each episode that correspond with what’s happening in the story. :p FUN!

Dean K has a fascinating eclectic blog full of great posts on topics like Lifestyle, Motherhood, Recipes, and much more. She hosts a link party called Mommy Monday Blog Hop which anyone can join by sharing links to your blog posts. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to meet other bloggers and share your stories, poems, recipes . . . I also love a segment she does called Thank You Notes. Check out her blog you will not be disappointed.

5,894 internet followers can’t be wrong. Cindy’s blog has over 500,000 internet views. I’m not usually a numbers gal but this is hard to ignore. Cindy Knoke is a writer and nature and travel photographer.
She retired early after 27 years as a psychotherapist/mental health director and moved to the outer limits of no-wheres-ville to a home she calls “The Holler” in rural California. I thought there weren’t any rural areas left in California but I was wrong. Cindy’s photographs will transport and mesmerize you, and coupled with her beautiful and sometimes witty words will entertain you. Check out some of her work below.⇓

♦

Of course there are many other blogs I visit and like very much and I will introduce more blogs at a later time. For now, please visit these blogs––I guarantee you will not regret it. 😉 Have a wonderful day!

Hi, everyone! I was asked by author Bianca Sloane to participate in the ‘Work-In-Progress Blog Challenge,’ and I accepted. Bianca Sloane writes suspense novels about the dark side of love. I am currently reading her novel, ‘Sweet Little Lies’ and so far, I find it riveting.

When Bianca Sloane is not writing, she’s watching Bravo TV, Investigation Discovery, reading or cooking. You can find out more about this talented author on her website and blog.

For this challenge, I must post the first line from each of the first three chapters in my work-in-process (WIP). Then I must select four other writers to do the same.

I have several WIP, but I’ve chosen ‘The Fall of Lilith’ for this challenge. ‘The Fall of Lilith’ is a Dark Fantasy aimed at a young adult/adult audience. This novel is divided into two parts: BOOK I – Heaven, and BOOK II – Earth. Therefore, I will be posting the first line of the first three chapters of both parts. Now, this is indeed a challenge. Revealing a tiny fragment of one’s work is a scary thing for any writer to do, since the entire work might be judged on those few lines.

(BOOK I – Heaven)

Chapter 1

Conflict

The War in Heaven raged on around Lilith, the cacophony of screams, howls, and wails threatening to make her mad.

Chapter 2

In The Beginning

Before He created the universe, God was present.

Chapter 3

Developing Attractions

The angels in Heaven were as numerous as the stars, all with distinguishing characteristics and potentials.

(Book II – Earth)

Chapter 27

Lilith’s Fate

Lilith fell to Earth, crashing through trees, feeling the collision with every branch she broke along the way.

Chapter 28

Gadreel’s Brutal Encounters

Gadreel tumbled from Heaven, bawling all the while. As she fell, she trembled with fear and regret, but still she could not stop thinking about Samael.

Chapter 29

The Angry Mountain

For many miles, over many long days and short nights, stopping only for rest, Lilith and Gadreel followed the penetrating, shrill sound through the grassland.

Hello everyone! I’ve been nominated for several awards and I am grateful and honored because this signifies that I’ve earned the respect and admiration of my fellow writers and bloggers. That means a great deal to me because I too have high regards for the talented authors who have bestowed upon me these honors.

First…

Christine Campbell has nominated me for the Quintet of Radiance Award, which are really 5 awards in one: The Awesome Blog Content Award, Most Influential Blogger Award, Sunshine Award, Inner Peace Award, and The Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you very much Christine!

Mondays I don’t have a problem with it’s Sunday nights I have a problem with because it’s the end of the weekend and I have to go to bed early, but I’m still on weekend mode!

Never underestimate the power of being kind – one of my mottos.

Observant

Polite, persistent

Quiroz (my Sicilian surname)

Rascal, my little toy Pomeranian

Saucy (sometimes)

Talented

Unique, understanding, unpredictable and upbeat.

Vivid imagination

Willing to try very hard to win over someone’s affection, but after so long – click – the switch is turned off – for good. I can only jump through hoops and bend over backward so much.

Xanthocomic (yellow-haired)

Yikes! (I couldn’t think of anything else for Y)

Zzzz – I love to read and sleep during thunderstorms.

Here are my nominees: (Click on their names to visit their interesting blogs)

Zee Southcombe – Zee is a writer, artist and teacher. She lives in beautiful New Zealand. In her blog she shares her experience, inspiration, motivation and humanity.

Alana Munro – Alana’s goal is to help creative people reach and connect with their target audience via social media marketing, and in-depth interviews about their creative works.

Jennifer (Jaye) Kirk – This crafty lady is one of the most talented and creative people I know. Check out her blog and see all the awesome cards she designs and makes.

Katie Cross – Katie is a published author who just released her first book Miss Mabel’s School For Girls. This intriguing fantasy about witches has received many 5 star ratings on Amazon. Check it out here.

Chris Graham – Chris provides a platform for authors to introduce themselves to us. He has a very interesting and entertaining blog. You should check it out.

The very amazing Vashti from from Vashti Quiroz-Vega’s Blog!
“Writer of Fiction, adventurer, lover of animals, nature and chocolate covered strawberries.”

The very wonderful Lisa from Chronically Content!
“I enjoy writing about my journey with Chronic Illness and how I have a desire to be content. It’s a challenge and I fail often, but turn to God’s Word for strength and encouragement. My life, like yours, is very busy. I’m a stay-at-home-mom who is homeschooling and trying to live a frugal lifestyle. Because of my health problems, this is very difficult. I’m sure I could learn many tips from you, so feel free to share.”

The very fabulous Dara from Not In Jersey!
“Dara is a mom of 3 kids who loves blogging about their adventures. She also loves reading, Disney, the show Scandal, traveling, and more!”

Grab a badge and join the party!

Now it is time to introduce our favorite This Momma’s Meanderer’s from last week, and boy oh boy it was a difficult choice! Don’t forget to grab your “I Was Featured” badge of honor! Congratulations to you all!

Jessica‘s favorite post came from The Mad Mommy with the post “Focusing On What Counts“!
Saying, “As parents we tend to forget what’s important – all the advice from everyone else or what or who actually counts. Thanks for sharing the story and reminding us on who counts – our children!”

Natasha‘s favorite post came from Joy’s Jots, Shots and Whatnots with the post “How to Make Your Digital TV Smart“!
Saying, “I’ve been considering cancelling my cable subscription and trying some alternatives for quite a while now. The trouble is that no one has Nick Jr and my son loves Nick Jr. I’ve been eyeing Chromecast because it’s so cheap – now I’m convinced, I’m going to buy it. Great post!”

Lisa‘s favorite post came from Let It Shine with the post “20 Inspiring Valentine Mantels“!
Saying, “It has wonderful pictures. They are big and beautiful and the post is very descriptive, but gets my creative juices flowing and inspires me to try, too!”

Dara‘s favorite post came from Lou Lou Girls with the post “Family Activities to Survive January“!
Saying, “January is a long and cold month. These ideas for family activities will help us make January more exciting!”

My favorite post came from Darlene Nemeth with the post “How Gratitude Changed My Life“!
Through years of struggling with depression, I have learned that even the struggles that I must face are blessings in disguise. I am blessed in ways that I never dreamt I would be and am so thankful for it all!

Congratulations to all of you amazing and wonderful linkers! Don’t forget to grab and display our “Featured” badge!

Thank you to all of you who joined us last week!

I am looking for February co-hosts for This Momma’s Meandering Mondays? If interested, please drop me a line at ssgannett@gmail.com. I would love to have you along for the ride! You can also check out my sponsor page for more info.

Now let’s get this party started!

Remember everyone enjoys a little comment love!

Feel free to “meander” by some fellow bloggers and find a new recipe to make for the family, a helpful blogging tip, a funny story to read, and best of all a new friend to make! There are really no rules to follow, only some suggestions to keep in mind…because we are all to enjoy the friendships that come along by doing these few simple and wonderful things…

1. Link up your favorite post…a story, a recipe, a photo, or a helpful tip…As many as you want, that’s right as many as you want!!!!

2. Please follow our Host’s and Co-host’s

3. Find some new friends to follow, friendships are what it’s all about!

4. Be sure to leave some comment love, to get it in return.

5. Grab our badge and display on your blog, sharing the love is what it’s all about.

Meander through the links and make some new friends, find some amazing and useful tips, and maybe even a new treat to try!

This Momma’s Meandering Mondays welcomes you to link up all of your favorite sites, so that we have more opportunity to Meander around and share the love! So happy Linking everyone!

Stacey loved the recipe from This Silly Girl’s Life: “I love sweets more than I should and these just look fabulous!”

Cathy’s thumbs up belongs to Scarlett’s Excellent Adventures: “I love eggnog and blending it with one of my favorite breakfast, French Toast, sounds delicious! Perfect breakfast for a cold holiday weekend!”

Melissa’s favorite also comes from This Silly Girl’s Life: “OK… so I feel Like I am always picking something from The Silly Girls Life… but seriously…. I did it once again w/out realizing! I saw this post and picked it immediately even though there were many other posts that grabbed my attention afterward. But… I am a big believer in first instincts… and who does not need a stress reliever this time of year? 2nd…. Who cannot use the occasional Jello Shot! It makes you feel youthful and fun and who cannot use a little of that once in a while? Plus it tastes fabulous! For those who are not accustomed to a normal “shot”, this is the shot for you! Thanks so much… I am going to make these, to help eliminate any unnecessary stress due to the holidays!!!”

Meg chose On A Wing and A Prayer for her fave: “I enjoyed the Holiday Joy DIY Air Freshener post by On a Wing and a Prayer. I have recently gotten into using essential oils and making my own natural beauty and cleaning products to reduce the chemicals I’m exposed to. This homemade air freshener will make your home smell like the holidays naturally!”

Miranda’s pick goes to 100 lb. Countdown: “I loved 5 tips on how to get fit with your partner, me and I have been looking for ways to get fit with my fellow.”

My favorite goes to Smart Living 365. What an awesome post on gratitude. It’s perfect for this time of year since it’s allowing me to reflect on what I’ve done in the past.

Congratulations to all our featured bloggers! Take our awesome badge and SHOW OFF your blogger skills by displaying it on your sidebar and encouraging others to join in!

Ready to party? We are! But first… some guidelines to follow:

Link up your favorite posts. It doesn’t matter which one, just make sure it’s family friendly!

Follow all 4 of your hosts

Follow all co-hosts

Leave a comment if you’d like them to follow you too

Visit at least 5 other bloggers

Show them your blogger love by leaving a comment if you’d like them to follow

Remember, it’s not a party unless you mix and mingle, so mingle around and make some friends!

Take our beautiful badge and proudly display it on your side bar to encourage others to party with us!

Hello! Welcome to my blog! I love having visitors. Those of you that visit my blog often know that I enjoy stimulating the different senses of my audience by adding art, photography, gifs and music to my various blog posts. If I could figure out a way to add smells I would (although that may not be a good idea in some cases, but for my recipe posts it would be great). Ha,ha!

I’ve been asked by several blogging friends to create an instructional post explaining how I put music on my blog. Today I’m attempting to do that. Please remember I’m no computer expert. I’m simply going to try to explain how I do it in the simplest way possible. Also keep in mind that I have a WordPress blog so it may be different if you have a dissimilar host

Sunni – FaerieMound Books

Lorraine Reguly – Lorraine Reguly’s Life

Firstly, I found this YouTube video you should definitely check it out. Tom Leblanc gives easy to follow instructions on how to put music on your blog using codes.

I have found most of my music at the Vimeo Music Store . On this site you can find royalty free music for your blog. There is free music available on this site, but you can also buy certain soundtracks.

Okay, here we go (hold on to your butts)…

How To Embed Music Into A Post

After you’ve visited Vimeo and saved your music to your downloads folder go to your post.

Place your bar where you would like the music to be added (where the player will show up on your post). Then click on add media at the top left side of the post window.

Clicking on Add Media will take you here. Click on upload files.

Once you click upload files this window will appear. Click on Select Files in the middle.

That will take you to your downloads folder. Choose the media (in this case music) that you would like to upload and click on it to highlight it.

Once highlighted(see the title in blue) you can click on Choose.

You will see your media uploading. How long it takes depends on the size of your file.

Once you see that your media (music file) has uploaded.

Click Insert Into Post (blue button located at the lower right corner).

Once you’ve clicked to insert your music you will see a URL code on your post. You will not see the image of your player until you publish your post.

Most likely this is what your player will look like after you’ve published your post (It may look different if your Mp3 player is not the same as mine).

Well, there you have it! I hope I was helpful. If you have any questions go ahead and leave them in the comment section.